Disclaimer: I do not own Yu Yu Hakusho or it's characters. I do not own Mario Super Bros or any of it's characters. I do own Angela.
Legend:
Music
Noise
-Telepathy-
-Thought-
/Flashbacks/
/Visions/Dreams/
Chapter Twelve
The next week Hiei returned to the shrine. -I have to talk to Angela. There's no way around it. Even after a month I still don't know how I feel.- Hiei walked into the training room to find Yusuke and Chu fighting. They stopped when they saw Hiei.
"Hey Hiei, long time no see," Yusuke said. He gave Hiei a stern look. "You know. You made Angela real sad when you left without saying goodbye. Though Jin perked her up real quick." He smiled. "He took her on a wild ride, let me tell you." He laughed at the suspicion growing on Hiei's face. -I'm evil!- he thought as he continued. "We all heard her screams. Wow!"
Hiei turned back to the door, walking out. "Hn, why do you think I need to know who she..." He couldn't say it.
Yusuke and Chu started laughing. "Wow Hiei! You do have a dirty mind!" Yusuke choked out.
Hiei glared at him. "What?"
"Jin took her flying! He gave her a crash course on flying!" Yusuke laughed. "He dropped her in mid air and she screamed almost the whole way down before Jin caught her."
Hiei continued to glare. "Where's Angela now?" Hiei asked, quelling the urge to choke the spirit detective.
Yusuke calmed down. "She's in the Land of Ice. The Elders wanted to meet her. She should be back in a week or so," Yusuke said. Hiei just 'hn'd and left.
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A week later, Angela returned. She was greeted with hugs and smiles from Yukina, Shizuru, Yusuke and the rest of the DT gang. Kurama and Kuwabara were at work.
Puu flew from Angela's shoulder onto Yusuke's head as he hugged her. "Hey you little fuzz ball, did you keep Angela safe?" Yusuke asked his spirit beast. Puu gave a proud 'puu' as Angela nodded. Yusuke laughed.
"So what did the Elders want?" Yukina asked.
"Well..." Angela started, then she looked around. "Maybe we all should go inside and sit."
The others, wondering what news she had that would make her want them to sit down, went inside. Angela started to follow but then stopped, she felt something familiar but couldn't identify it. She looked around her. Nothing but trees and the wind. -Hm...- She shrugged.
Inside everyone was sitting and waiting for her. "Well..." Koenma prompted, he hadn't heard what she and Botan had talked about when they met the Elders.
"Well...They wanted to see me because my name rung a bell...they inspected me then compared me to a portrait...Well, they then told me that I was a reincarnation of the most powerful, wisest and oldest Angel that led the Angels against the Darkness and thought up the sealing and thought up the ritual to continue the line of Angels and that her son was my ancestor and that's that," she said in a rush. The others stared at her. She neglected to mention the near royal treatment they gave her after they had confirmed that she was the reincarnation.
"Wowee," Jin said.
"Yeah, wow," Yusuke agreed.
"Makes sense," Koenma said.
Others started to talk but something in the corner of Angela's eye made her turn. She saw the edge of Hiei's cloak go around the side door way. She went out and looked in the direction she saw the cloak go. By the pond stood Hiei.
Angela ran up to him. "Um, hi," she said, suddenly nervous. -It's been a little more than a month and I haven't had time to think about what I would say to him if I ever saw him again,- she thought.
Hiei about 'hn'd but thought about the last time he did that. "Hi," he replied instead.
"Um, I want to talk to you, can we go somewhere private? Like my garden, I need to check it since I've been gone for so long," she said shyly.
Hiei shrugged, "Sure."
They walked to the garden in silence, both in their own thoughts. -What do I say to him? Is he mad at me for what I said? Does he hate me?- she thought.
He thought, -What should I say? How do I explain why I left? Does she still hate me? She's talking to me at least...-
When they got to the garden, Angela turned around to face him. "Hiei, I just want you to know that I don't hate you, I never did, I was just angry and hurt. I was hoping that maybe you felt the same, stupid though it was. I don't know why I thought that you might. I guess I thought that since you were training me and helping me that maybe you had feelings for me. When I realized that you didn't, I was crushed, and I just blew up at you. And I'm really sorry. I thought I'd never get to see you again and I didn't want your last memories of me being how I was a bitch to you. I'm sorry," she babbled out. When he just stared at her she turned away to hide the tears she knew were coming. -I knew it, he does hate me. Why else would he not reply and just stare at me.-
Hiei studied the girl. She had been earnest in what she said, it made him feel oddly happy to learn that she didn't hate him, but it hurt him to hear her say that he didn't feel anything towards her. -I know I do feel something for her, but how can I tell her that, if I don't know what it is? I don't want to get her hopes up in case it's just friendly feelings or something along those lines.- He thought for a second, then sighed. "I'm sorry," he said, surprising Angela.
-Did he just say sorry? But for what?- She turned to face him, quickly wiping her eyes. "What?" she asked.
Hiei looked at her watery eyes then looked away. -Great, I've made her cry again. As Yusuke said, I have a way with women.- Hiei looked back at her. "I'm sorry for how I reacted when you told me about you kissing Kurama, and I'm sorry for how I responded to you telling me that you liked me. I just didn't know what to say." He looked down. "I don't know what I feel about you. That's why I left, to think about this."
Angela smiled. "And I was thinking you left 'cuz you hated me."
Hiei looked back at her face, she was smiling. "I never hated you. Like you, I was hurt and angry at what you said." He shrugged. "I don't know why I told you this," he said, looking away again. "Let's just keep this conversation to ourselves."
Angela nodded. She thought he might want that, since he hardly ever opened up to anyone and when he did, he didn't want the whole world to know.
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"Now, let's try it again," Jin said, standing next to Angela as she stood up, rubbing her butt.
"Fine, just catch me if I fall that far again," she said tersely. She had been training with Jin the past few days, trying to fly from the ground. So far she had gotten up to ten feet high and had flown four yards before she fell down. She fell at a slow speed, trying to regain height, but only managed to bounce up and down before she fell the rest of the five feet. She thought she acted like Mario in Mario Super Bros. when he got the feather and you were trying to fly. Bounce up, fall a little, bounce up, fall a little more.
"Alright, alright. Now try," Jin said.
Angela concentrated, she gathered the wind around her and concentrated on lift off.
Yusuke watched her lift off and fly a distance before she fell into Jin's arms. He smiled. -She'll get it by the end of the day. As Jin said, she's a quick learner.- Yusuke looked into the trees behind the two flyers. He saw a dark shadow in the upper branches of one of the trees. He smiled again, a little sad. He remembered how sad Angela had been at finding Hiei gone, and at how fast she found him and sought him out the day she returned. -I guess I knew she'd never be mine.- He laughed quietly to himself. -Me and Kurama never had the chance. I guess it's time for the Shrimp to find happiness, I've had my chance, and some how I think Kurama knew she would never be his. Ah well, I'm happy for them.- He looked from the tree that Hiei was in, to Angela. -Now if only we could get them to realize it and confess it openly. I know Angela said she had feelings, and I can guess from Angela's happy mood that Hiei had finally said something about his feelings, but I doubt they openly said 'I love you'.- He looked at the tree again to find it empty. He laughed. -Though I might be an old man before he admits it.-
"Haha! I did it!" Angela exclaimed, shaking Yusuke out of his thoughts. She was flying around without wobbling or bouncing.
Jin started to fly around her. "Yippee! Now Ol' Jin here has a fellow flyer! And a good one at that, I tell ya."
Yusuke stood up clapping, "Great! Now can we go in for some late lunch?"
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The trio walked into the training room after they had eaten. Inside the rest fo the DT gang were training.
Touya, who had been training with Rinku and Chu looked over and saw Angela and Jin. "Are your wind lessons done?" he asked. When Angela nodded he said, "Good now we can train in ice and water."
Angela shook her head. "Tomorrow." Touya nodded.
"Hey, Angela. It's been awhile since we've trained," Yusuke said, dragging her into the middle of the room.
"Fine," Angela said, getting ready.
Touya watched the two start fighting. "Is she a good learner as you all say?" he asked Jin.
Jin nodded. "Sure is. Now lets fight!" Touya laughed.
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Hiei walked through the forest, thinking. -What now? I told her how I felt, hoping to clear this confusion, but it didn't help. What's the matter with me? I've never felt like this. Only when I started to really think about what everyone was saying did I realize that I felt like this. They say Mukuro and I are a pair, but it's not true. Like with Angela, I do know I have feelings for her, but they're different than the feelings I have for Angela. And what do I really feel for Angela? Is it love, like Kurama hinted at, or is it kinship? I feel the need to protect her like I feel for Yukina, but do I think of her as a sister, or just a friend? Or is it more than that? Why do I keep asking these questions!- he asked himself, frustrated. "Dammit, this woman is driving me crazy!" he said angrily to the forest.
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Shizuru came home late that day. She walked into the kitchen to find Yukina and Angela doing the dishes. "Hey kidos," she said.
"Guess what?" Angela said happily.
"What?" Shizuru asked.
"I flew from the ground today!"
"Nice, I'd like to see that. Now you two guess what?" she asked in turn.
Yukina, smiling at Angela's happiness turned to Shizuru. "What?"
Shizuru held up an invitation. "My work is having a ball and we're invited."
"When is it?" Yukina asked.
"In a week."
"Ah, enough time to go shopping for proper clothes," Yukina said, turning to Angela. "What...ohh...umm..." Yukina felt a wave of dizzyness over come her. She grabbed onto the counter and stood still as the dizzyness passed.
"You okay!" Angela and Shizuru said together, coming close to Yukina to catch her if she fell.
"I'm okay, I've just felt a little under the weather lately," she smiled reassuringly.
Shizuru felt her forehead. "Hmm, no temp. What's your symptoms?"
"Oh just a little nausea, and waves of dizzyness."
Shizuru looked at Yukina closely. "Do you think you might be...?"
Yukina shrugged. "I...think so...but I want to be sure."
"Have you gotten a pregnancy test yet?" Shizuru asked.
"I wasn't sure how they'd work on demons."
Shizuru nodded. "Yeah, and I don't think going to a human doctor would be a good idea..."
Angela's eyes lit up. "That's it!" The two looked at her. Angela elaborated on her exclamation, "You said 'human doctor', well what about a doctor from Spirit or Demon World?"
Yukina thought about it. "Yes, I'm sure the doctors in either of those places would do."
"But how do we exactly get to either of those places without the boys knowing, 'cuz I'm sure you want to take your own time before you let them know," Shizuru said to Yukina.
Yukina nodded. "Yes, Kazuma has been wanting children, he might not say so, not wanting to push me, but I know he does. I don't want to get his hopes up."
"Well," Angela started. "What about Botan? I'm sure we can ask her."
"Yeah, but we don't know when she'll be coming next," Shizuru said. They stood there, thinking. Suddenly an idea came to Shizuru. "What about if we invite her to the ball? We can then tell her when she comes, and say that we're going shopping while she takes Yukina to a doctor."
"That's a great idea!" Yukina said, while Angela nodded.
"We can get Yusuke to contact Koenma, 'cuz I'm sure there's some way that they communicate long distance," Angela said, walking out. "I'll go talk to him."
She found Yusuke star gazing on the roof, Puu flying around beside him. The moment Puu saw her he flew into her arms. "Puuu!"
"Hi Puu," she said, hugging the spirit beast then letting him go as she climbed up the ladder Yusuke had used. The moment she was on the roof, Puu again flew into her arms.
Yusuke looked over and smiled. "Puu sure took a liking to you."
She looked at the little creature, smiling. "Yeah well, a month in each other's company will do that to you." She laid beside Yusuke, looking at the stars. "They're beautiful. When I look at them, I feel that there's hope for everything in the world, no matter how wrong things are. Whenever I feel sad or lonely, I look at the stars, and I feel connected to everyone, because I know that they're under the same stars." She smiled sadly. "When I moved away to college, I was feeling very homesick. I called my parents, almost in tears because I wasn't with them. My dad just laughed and said that I am with them, as they are with me. He then said that all I had to do was look at the sky and the stars and I was with them, because we are under the same sky, under the same sun, under the same stars, no matter the distance we're from each other. He said that each night he and my mom would look at the stars at a certain time and if I was looking at the stars at the same time, then we would be together at that time, even though I was away." Tears slowly ran down her face. "I still look at the stars at the same time that they look at the stars." She laughed. "The first time I was able to take the time to look at the stars here, I had to figure out what time I should look at the sky so I was looking at it at the same time as my parents. True, it's still day here when it's night there, but I look at the sky then, and at night I look at the stars, to see what they saw. And at those times I feel like everything is okay, and that some day I'll be able to see them again."
They laid there for a long while, Yusuke thinking about what Angela had said. -Keiko? Can you see the stars where you are? Or are you among them?- he thought, smiling as the peace of the thought and the stars enveloped him.
Finally Angela sighed and sat up. "I forgot why I came up here. Is there some way that you can contact the Spirit World?" Yusuke nodded. "Cool 'cuz Shizuru wants you to contact Botan and Koenma to see if they want to go to her company's ball in a week, if so, then could Botan come tomorrow so we can go shopping."
Yusuke sat bolt upright. "Sure, but am I going?" Angela nodded. "But I can't dance!" he exclaimed, slightly embarrased.
Angela laughed, "Then we'll teach you."
As she stepped off the ladder, she saw Hiei sneeking off. "Hey Hiei, Shizuru invited us to go to her company ball, are you going?" she asked as she ran up to with him.
Hiei looked at her shining eyes. -She really wants me to go...Damn...- "I guess, but I can't dance," he said quietly.
Angela smiled. "Then we'll be teaching you and Yusuke," she said as she walked back to the kitchen. She paused. "Oh, and you'll need something to wear, tomorrow us girls are going shopping for us, later on in the week we'll take you guys."
Hiei just stared at her as she walked away. -How the hell did I get to be this way! Why do I want to please her!- he thought incredulously to himself.
"Yusuke is going to contact Koenma and Botan to invite them and ask Botan to come here to go shopping with us tomorrow," Angela said as she walked into the kitchen. Shizuru and Yukina were talking at the table as Shizuru ate.
"Cool," Shizuru said.
"I also snagged Yusuke and Hiei into going to the ball, though both will need dance lessons and proper outfits. Was that alright?"
Shizuru nodded, saying, "Though I'd refrain from asking the DT gang, I think the only one that would fit in would be Suzuka, and when in a crowd he can be a bit pompous." Angela giggled at the mental picture.
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The next day Botan showed up, ready to go shopping. The girls pulled her into the kitchen as they washed the morning dishes. Shizuru looked out the door to make sure no men were around. She nodded as she closed the door. "Okay, it's safe," she said.
Botan looked at the three women, confused. "What's safe?"
"I need to ask you to do something," Yukina started. "I need you to take me to a doctor in Spirit World to see if I'm pregnant."
Botan opened her mouth, but Shizuru covered it, forestalling any exclamation. "The guys can't know. We'll leave as if were going shopping, then you and Yukina will leave to the Spirit World. Got it?" Shizuru asked. Botan nodded. "Angela and I will go find dresses for you two. By the way, what are your measurements, I know Yukina's."
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"By guys, play nice!" the girls said as they left. They walked down the steps, chatting normally.
"Oh! Angela, I forgot to bring you some cd's!" Botan said.
Angela looked over at her. "Huh?"
"After we talked, I went and looked up the cd's you were talking about and got them for you," Botan said happily.
"Cool!" Angela said, just as happily. "Finally some of my music!"
They walked all the way down to the middle of the long stair case. Shizuru stopped and stood a few steps above them while Angela went down several steps.
"Okay here," Shizuru said.
Angela nodded. "Here too."
"Okay, ready to go Yukina?" Botan asked as she materialized her oar.
Yukina looked nervously at the oar. "Well, my stomach might not be but I am. Mostly," she said as she sat on the back.
"Well, Shizuru, Angela. We'll see you later," Botan said. The other two nodded as they watched Botan fly off.
"Hey, do you think the others could see them?" Angela asked.
Shizuru shook her head. "No, Botan can make herself visble to whoever she wants and if she doesn't want someone to see her, they won't."
"Cool."
Shizuru looked at Angela, "Well, kido, ready to go shopping?" Angela nodded.
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Late afternoon Shizuru and Angela walked up the steps carrying four dresses. They kept looking ahead of them and behind them, worrying about what would happen if someone walked up or down the stairs and found only Shizuru and Angela. Finally they made it to the middle point and waited anxiously for Botan and Yukina. After fifteen minutes they showed up.
"How'd it go?" Angela asked as she helped a green Yukina off of the oar.
"Well..." Yukina paused to catch her breath. "We won't know until the doctor contacts me."
"How will she do that?" Angela asked.
Botan said, "Oh I brought a set of communication compacts with me, and gave one to the doctor and one to Yukina."
"If the doc calls won't it ring on all of the compacts?" Shizuru asked.
Botan shook her head. "No these compacts only communicate to each other. The other compacts won't recieve any calls from these two. It also has vibrate in case the doc calls while Yukina is with someone, and has an answering machine. So if she can't pick it up the doc can leave a message." "
Handy little walkie talkie," Shizuru said as she handed Botan's and Yukina's dresses to them. "Well, up the stairs we go. Can you make it Yukina?"
"Yeah"
"About time ya'll got back," Yusuke said as he and Jin paused in fighting. "So whaddya get?" Yusuke asked, a smile on his face. "Come on and show us."
Shizuru shook her head. "Nope, it's a secret."
"Aw man. Us guys were hoping to get a show," Yusuke said slyly.
"Hmm...what kind of show? I'll see if I can accomodate you..." Angela said mischeviously. Y
usuke's eyes widened. "Uh...come closer and I'll tell you." Angela walked up to him and he leaned down and whispered in her ear.
Angela blushed. "Well...I'm sorry but for that I'd need 'proper' clothing," she replied, laughing. She turned to Jin, "And what about you, what type of show would you want...?" The other three girls laughed as they walked by a furiously blushing Jin.
Hiei watched from a nearby tree, half smiling, half scowling, fully blushing. -She...she's a good flirt, and a match for Yusuke in dirty jokes. But why did that make me jealous and angry. Why did I wish that she had said that to me?- Hiei shook his head and left.